


Well, At least she's cute!

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Genderbending, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-07-13
Updated: 2011-07-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 09:05:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/223456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where it's the Egbert sisters, and the Strider brothers. Jessica "Jess" Egbert is starting high school with her best friends, but it seems there are some other really cool people she can be friends with too! Ha ha, they have funny names... And they're all so strange! This one ragey guy seems to have a crush on her, but she doesn't know for sure. A story of harmless (or perhaps not) shenanigans and tomfoolery!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

You are Broderick Strider, but everyone just seems to call you Bro. You are currently in your parent’s home after work with your very pregnant and very irritable mother. She hasn’t been able to do the things she loves (drink or smoke) for 8 months and you are in another fight with them. It seems that you are going to have to move out on your own soon if you can find a place. You are 15 years old.

 

Another month passes and you realize that the twins would have to stay in your room, since the Strider Family lives off of handouts and parole, and you live in a shack of a house. You are excited to see them, and you promise not to let them become tainted by your parents. You start looking for apartments.

 

A year has passed, and you still live with your parents. You are failing school, but you are succeeding in other areas of life. You work during almost every free moment, since you can’t afford not to. You love your siblings, named Eric and Dave. They are adorable and very smart for their ages. Eric laps up every used picture book you bring home for him and Dave is chill as a motherfucker, hardly crying at all.

 

Time has passed, and both twins have started to walk. Both of your parents are abusive to everyone they can get their hands on. Little Eric and Dave have bruises on their arms from your parents grabbing them too hard, and they have been shaken several times. You are amazing they haven’t died yet. They are neglectful, and you are running out of options.

 

You are Bro Strider and you are on your way in your unbelievably shitty car to a man several states away. You just got your license and you are incredibly nervous. This man is Mr. Egbert, a lawyer notorious for taking cases involving civil liberties and being very good at his job. You sent a letter to him informing him of your visit, and you are hoping for the best.

 

You finally arrive at Egbert’s office after a night of straight driving. You are exhausted, and you feel incredibly uncomfortable in your grubby clothes. You are wearing ridiculously cool shades to block out your tired eyes. You are waiting in an office with an assortment of other people, some people looking like corporate morons, and others like trailer trash trying to get a deal on their houses. You know that you are being judgemental, but you have to keep your mind on the goal.

 

It seemed like eternity, but it is finally time to go see Mr. Egbert. You are tense and irritable and tired, but he seems to take a liking to you. He realizes your case, and offers to take you to his place for lunch. You don’t want to go, but the incredibly clean shaven man insists. You hope that he won’t do anything fishy.

 

You go to Mr. Egbert’s house, and you are surprised at the fact that it is a plain house in suburbia. You almost wonder out loud why that is the case, since Mr. Egbert is a very wealthy lawyer. When both of you walk into his house you are greeted by two lovely girls. They are being taken care of their grandfather who has a habit of staring at an urn that sits on the top of the mantle longingly.

 

The Egbert sisters are called Jess and Jade. Jade is 10 months older than Jess and has a brain on top of her shoulders. She reminds you of Eric, almost. They are around the same age as Eric and Dave. Mr. Egbert insists on you calling him Dad, since everyone does, even Grandpa Harley. You feel the most at home since a very long time. You bond with the sisters, and they already know you.

 

Before you get back into your unbelievably shitty car, Dad gives you a manly pat on the back and a cell phone. To keep in touch, he explains when you try to refuse it. Instead, you accept it and give the girls hugs and shake Grandpa Harley’s hand before you leave. You drive through the night again to get back to your house where you will probably be punished for disappearing.

 

Years have passed and you have graduated school, just barely. You live in a simple apartment where you suspiciously don’t have to pay as much rent as you think you have to. When you ask Dad about it, he says nothing even though he helped set up the apartment for you. Eric and Dave constantly go to your place to visit you, and you have taken them up to see the Egbert’s a couple times. They are all friends and the twins often ask about the girls. You love them more than you love anyone else, and you promise to take them out of their parent’s house as soon as possible.

 

Dave and Eric are in school now. They aren’t even in the second grade and Dave is already picking fights. You often see him in your hand-me-downs looking all beat up. He doesn’t bathe enough, and him and Eric are the sole responsible people to infest their elementary school with lice, whooping cough, and the chicken pox. You are worried about them, and the process is painstakingly slow.

 

You are Bro strider, and you finally have enough evidence against your parents to call social services.

 

You get a hold of Dave, and you take him up to the Egbert’s house. You only have enough room in your unbelievably shitty car for one at a time, and you drive as fast as you can. You drop off Dave with the Egberts, and you go as fast as you can for Eric. By the time you get back, Social Services somehow lost Eric, and he is now with a foster parent.

 

 **"Bro: Proceed to lose “your shit”."**

 

You indulge this need, and you tear apart the office, screaming and yelling. You have never been so emotional in your life, and you have never shown anyone your anger. But they lost your brother. They gave him away. Dave is alone now, and you want names.

 

 **"Bro: Be arrested."**

 

You are detained for a night for disturbing the peace, and causing about 600 dollars in damage to that shitty office. You don’t call the Egberts, and instead you pay all your fees instead of being an ass about losing your shit.

 

When they let you out you drive up state to where you left Dave, and where you left your family. Everyone is upset when they hear the news about Eric, and you finally let yourself sleep.

 

Time has passed, and you live in an apartment with Dave. He’s about 8 now, and you are still looking for Eric. You are on your feet with a few jobs. You bartend with a side job of being a DJ with a few websites to bring in enough loot to fuel you newly found passion for puppets. They scare little Jess, but Dave doesn’t mind them. He’s become a cool little fucker, and he has started to wear shades like yours.

 

Dad keeps disappearing, and Grandpa Harley has started to go on expeditions, leaving Jess, Jade and Dave in your care. It seems like you all have several houses, and you are always either at the Egberts, work, or at your place.  
You are taking care of the kids for a while, but you are in for a surprise. Grandpa Harley is at the house, and he has a slip of paper from Dad.

  
 _Eric, Ariondacks Park, New York. Madam Lalonde._

You are Bro Strider, and you are driving through the night in your unbelievably shitty car again to find your little brother. You google mapped the shit out of the park, and you intend to find out just who this “Madam Lalonde” is. You taped the picture of the house to your dashboard, and you are about half-way there. It takes you almost 2 days to arrive.

 

When you get to house, you walk straight up to the door and knock. It takes a moment, but you are greeted by a woman with a martini and a lab coat. When you introduce yourself as Eric’s older brother, you are invited in. You explain to her what your home life was like, and what happened with social services. You show her a picture of Dave and Eric when they were toddlers. Madam Lalonde had no idea that Eric had a twin, and she said that it would make a lot of sense. When you ask to see him, Madam Lalonde explains that he is mourning the death of his cat Jaspers, and refused to exit his room.

 

When you finally coax Eric out of his room, you finally hug him the way you always wanted to. Eric does nothing at first, but then hugs back, allowing you to lift him into your arms. You stay with Madam Lalonde who insists that you call her “Mom”. Somehow it fits, and you make them promise to visit you when they get the chance.

 

You are Bro Strider and time has passed like no other. You spend a lot of time at your apartment with Dave, and Dave is best friends with Jess, Jade and Eric, even though they don’t always get along. They are finishing middle school and getting ready to go to high school. Eric spends time with you and Dave half the time, and spends the rest of the time with Mom, who has moved closer to where everyone else is, but is still being a sciency smart woman. Her and Dad have struck up a romantic relationship. You spend time trying to find a girl friend, finally ready to settle down and pass the torch to Dave and Eric.

 

You notice Dave softening and even smiling when he is around Jess, and Eric has a steady girlfriend, a girl who looks like a model named Kanaya. Jade has become sporty and lean, and Jess stayed quite short, all those cakes taking their toll on her thighs, hips and bust. Somehow, she pulled it off, managing to just be Jess.  
This is their story.


	2. "How do I..."

It's six thirty in the morning and for some reason Dave Strider is wide awake.

Any other day this might be okay. No, that's not entirely true. Any other day Dave would roll against the wall, pressing himself as close as he can to soak in the cold of the smooth paint because it's a million fucking degrees out and he's dying even in his boxers and tank top. He'd fall back asleep pretty easily. No problems, no big deal. He'd probably forget the next morning he ever woke up.

But today just has to be different. Today, the one day he actually needs the extra hour of sleep before Bro comes gliding in and leaving Lil' Cal beside his pillow to wake him from happy thoughts, just _happens_ to be the day he awakes for no goddamn reason despite having only gotten half the amount of sleep he usually gets because he _absofuckinglutely_ had to finish a page of **Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff.**

The phrase _fuck my life_ plays in the back of his mind. Ironically, of course. Because cool kids don't say such angsty emo things and mean them.

 

 **“Dave: Drag your lazy ass out of bed and get some shit done.”**

 

It's six thirty in the morning, smartass. Besides, trying to sneak past Eric is like trying to get around an elephant by crawling over it. Not much _getting around_ being done.

 

 **“Rude Child: Assess your brother.”**

 

Dave turns his head, cheek pressing into the side of his pillow. Eric's bed is at sort of a diagonal from his, the point between them being the corner of the wall with a desk and lamp. Dave's prescription sunglasses are on the dark wood, along with a half empty glass of water Eric forgot to finish last night. The younger twin is sleeping on his right side, one arm bent beneath his pillow, the other slung gently over his belly. Long, pale fingers rest on an open book. One he must have fallen asleep reading. His trademark Squiddles bookmark is nowhere to be seen.

It figures Eric is quiet even during the night. It's not like he says too much during the day, aside from snide remarks that are purposely abstruse or the occasional playful nip during a conversation. But even normal people at least breathe heavy when they're sleeping. This kid just defies the universe's laws in his own way, Dave supposes. It still remains a mystery as to why he's had a girlfriend this long. Or any, for that matter.

Despite ignoring the earlier idea of leaving his bed, there's really nothing else to do. And it's not like he's wanting to run around yelling and causing a ruckus. Mind you, if Bro's awake that's a totally different story. Maybe it'd be best if he stayed laying here... staring... doing absolutely nothing for fifty-five more minutes... only staring and thinking and... staring...

Fuck it. Eric will just need to deal with being woken up.

Dave kicks the sheet he has tangled around his waist away from himself and swings his bare legs over the edge of his bed. The mattress creaks in protest, the noise oddly shrill and piercing in the morning silence. It only worsens when he reaches across to the table and snatches up his sunglasses. Ignoring the way his anxiety relaxes ever so slightly from the shadows he's grown used to over the many years of wearing shades (because he's not dependant on them, no way no how. They're just to look cool, never hide behind), the blond Texan stands.

The bedroom isn't too big so it's not a huge ass journey getting to the door. He doesn't dodge around anything, aside from stepping on a stray knitted sock, and his feet are light, barely making any noise. Still, Dave hesitates when the door is part way open and glances back over his shoulder to where Eric should be still sleeping.

Obviously he's not. The kid has ears sharper than a motherfucking bat. Eric's staring at Dave, and although he doesn't say anything verbally his eyes tell all. _If I cannot fall back asleep, I will stick a straw in your eye and suck out your cornea. Slowly._

Dave smirks and watches Eric's owl gaze turn into a glare before stepping out of the room.

There's no sign of Bro, and part of Dave is glad for that. He's not sure he's up for a battle this early. Then again, when Dave last saw his older brother it was through the sliding door that leads to their small balcony overlooking the apartment yard and pool. Bro had been standing beside his long time girl friend of nearly four years, leaning against the railing with his head turned towards her, listening to whatever it was she'd been saying. A smiled had been curving his lips. A smile Dave didn't normally see unless Bro was talking about, or with, this woman. A woman who was tall, taller than six feet, with hair that fell long on one side and short on the other. A woman who seemed to be made of nothing but long legs and arms. No curves, no breasts, no soft joints. Just sharp angles and lanky grace.

Dave doesn't know her name. He doesn't know her face either. Eric does though, because apparently she doesn't bother hiding herself behind a pillow or book every time he walks into the room. _Apparently_ it's just Dave she does it to. It's only Dave that calls her “Mystery Chick”. It's only Dave the three cackle at when he tries numerous times, and fails, to try and catch a glimpse of her. It's only Dave Bro made a pact with Mystery Chick to troll.

Not Eric. Oh, no, never Eric. Even Karkat fucking knows her—although how Dave has no idea. The kid won't let anything slide—and he takes every waking moment to rub it into Dave's face that _he_ knows something the Strider doesn't. Like it makes him King Kong of the town people or some stupid shit.

Fuckin' Karkat.

Dave doesn't look forwards to the fact he has to see that brat's ugly face today. Today and five days a week for the next ten months. Fuck he hates school.

The fridge is full, and yet nearly empty of edible products aside from the remainder of some kind of blended fruit drink Mom gave Eric to bring over. Dave pushes his hand through the many different weapons Bro has stuffed within the cooling unit, a test on its own to see if he'll get hurt, and grabs the beverage. If Eric doesn't want Eggos for breakfast that's his problem now.

The computer is still on from Dave's late night (or would it be early morning?) work. Hephaestus's main page appears after a second of blackness when Dave nudges   
the mouse. Out of habit the boy signs into Pesterchum, not even taking in the different files strewn throughout the desktop front. The familiar, bubbly yellow window pops open and Dave's eyes scan the short list, knowing that the chance of anyone else being awake this early is next to...

Wait.

What the hell?

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 06:38 --

TG: so it is a normal thing for you to be awake at this time  
TG: or is this more of that weird athlete shit???   
GG: dave!! oh wow youre awake too!!   
TG: yeah  
TG: no idea why  
TG: brain decided to go nocturnal on my ass like some bipolar vampire   
GG: aw thats too bad :(   
TG: you preping for a marathon or something??   
GG: hahaha no silly ;) jess accidentally left the back door open last night and bec got out  
GG: dad was all in a panic when he couldnt find bec for his walk this morning so he woke us up and we went looking for him  
GG: turns out he didnt leave the property he just curled up under the patio   
TG: if bec got twenty feet away from you guys he would probably have some kind of loyalty aneurism  
TG: hes a devilbeast jade  
TG: you should have locked the door behind him  
TG: closed all the windows  
TG: all the drapes  
TG: huddle together in the bathroom  
TG: guns and shit armed   
GG: dave thats not funny!! hes such a good dog :) :)  
GG: i dunno what dad was all freaking out about  
GG: he didnt even take bec out for his walk after!   
TG: he was shouting in joy  
TG: your hippie furry love blinded you from the truth  
TG: now youll pay the price   
GG: ohhh stop that!! D:   
TG: he forced you awake before seven  
TG: step one of his master fuck up everything plan   
GG: grrrr dave!!   
TG: just trying to spread the knowledge  
TG: god uses me to contact you his warnings  
TG: im a divine liaison  
TG: a radio for the deities   
GG: you dont even believe in god   
TG: hey dont blame me when you get mauled and treated like a crack filled dog treat  
TG: your dying thoughts will be how wrong and ignorant you were  
TG: and how obviously cool it was that i tried saving you   
GG: sooooooo cooooool!!   
TG: you know it  
TG: so hows jess taking the change of sleep time  
TG: did she manage to drag her ass out of bed??   
GG: just barely :(  
GG: youd think she didnt even care about bec!!  
GG: she kept whining about having to wake up and i was ready to shove her out of bed by the end of it!!   
TG: cant say i blame her  
TG: devildog deserves to be shot  
TG: not saved   
GG: oh dave!!  
GG: just you wait, youll come to love bec too one of these days ;)   
TG: yeah  
TG: ok  
TG: just me and furry satan making out hardcore in the future  
TG: chilling by the beach together  
TG: having baths made of our floating hairs  
TG: great prediction jade  
TG: sounds real fucking accurate   
GG: oh bluh to you and your negativity  
GG: youre worse than eric sometimes :(  
GG: ah! crud! its quarter to!  
GG: i have to go and do my run, sorry!   
TG: this does have something to do with athlete shit then   
GG: no its just a bonus!! :D  
GG: see you later on today!  
GG: <3   
TG: yeah see ya

\-- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] \--

Crazy hippie.

 

 **“Dave: Be the sisters.”**

 

It's impossible to be two people, you dumbshit.

 

 **“Dave: Be the crazy, athletic hippie girl.”**

 

8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y

 

Dad is still in the kitchen watching the coffee brew droplet by droplet when Jade pokes her head around the corner. “I'm going to go for a short jog.”

He doesn't bother turning around. His hands are on the counter ledge, bracing his tired body as he gazes down at his liquid energy. He makes a small noise in the back of his throat. A sound caught between a grunt and a 'whatever'.

Jade wonders momentarily if he's heard her, and worries that perhaps she should repeat herself because what if he didn't hear and starts freaking out about _her_ disappearing too? One vanishing act is more than enough for a family in a single day. Her father isn't exactly the most laid-back character either. “Um, Dad..?”

“Jade!” squeaks a voice from behind.

Jade turns and is predictably met with the sight of her ten month younger sister, Jess. The other girl is still half in her pyjamas, the pants long and straight and barely giving her legs any shape at all. They're decorated with little salamanders. Yellow ones. A gift from Grandpa, if Jade's not mistaken. Her other half, the top of her body, is clad in a simple blue t-shirt that makes her eyes stand out. “Can I borrow this?” she asks, and Jade's attention switches from the vivid colour of the top to what's in Jess's outstretched hands.

It's one of her skirts. A soft grey fabric with a tie at the hip following a fake seam. She can't even remember wearing it in the past three months. “Of course! Just make sure you throw it in the wash afterwards.”

The smile Jade is given is better than any vocalized response in the world. Jess looks ready to throw herself at her older sister then seems to think better and instead chirps an excited, “Thank you!” and runs back up the stairs to her room, bare feet stomping loudly with every step.

Jade hovers in the doorway of the kitchen a moment longer, her eyes flickering to Dad, then the front door at the end of the hall.

 

 **“Jade: Let your father be and go for your run.”**

 

She supposes it can't hurt to just leave. Besides, it's not like these runs are sporadic. Her dad will understand where it is she's vanished to.

Pausing to slip on her runners at the front mat, she opens the door and starts down the front driveway. The air is fresh at this time of morning. Not that it technically changes during the rest of the day... It just seems so much newer. So much less busy and less full of humans breathing all together in one sweaty carbon dioxide cloud. It's cleaner and when she takes in a deep mouthful her lungs swell with the sweet, tasteless molecules. She almost forgets where she is and what she's doing. Her legs seem to disappear and while she keeps moving nothing registers in her mind what destination she might be headed for.

She's running during one of the most beautiful hours of the day, and that's really all that matters.

Down the sidewalk of her house, around the corner and through streets of all kinds. She doesn't bother entering the business area of town. If there's anybody awake they'll probably be there, and she likes it better when it's her by herself for these moments. Although her lonesomeness doesn't last long.

It's a few streets from her house, up a hill and around a bend, where she suspects the two live. The more _high class_ neighbourhood. The girl, Nepeta, is incredibly small with a round face and olive skin. Her eyes are almond shaped and when she walks there's a bounce to her step, as if she's too excited to place her weight properly. She looks like some soft middle between Asian and Indian, and it's not at all degrading to her appearance. She could be beautiful if she tried.

She normally runs with Equius. A boy much bigger and much taller than her. He is somewhere in the loose gap of dirty blond and light brown, always with his tangled hair tied up. Sunglasses perch on his nose, even when it's raining, and Jade is somewhat intimidated when she passes them on the sidewalk because he's huge and hulking and she's sure the eyes she feels boring into the back of her head when she jogs in front of them are his.

They're always stretching when she comes around the corner of their street, and not too long after she passes them (with a cheerful, “Good morning!” exchange between her and Nepeta) they rise and start jogging behind her, Nepeta chattering the entire time. She assumes the giant three storey house behind them with the dark blue trimming is where they live. Together, perhaps? Jade isn't too sure. She only knows them loosely because of the connections within their group of similar friends.

Today the routine is no different. Jade steps 'round the bend and sees them in the distance. Nepeta is already up and hopping around excitedly, waving her arms wildly which forces the overlarge sleeves of what's probably Equius's hoodie to flop in a comedic manner. Her voice can be heard through the silent morning, although the words are garbled. Jade notices the way Equius glances up and down quickly when she nears them. Nepeta on the other hand makes sure eye contact is made and she catches Jade's gaze with her dark orbs, flashing a mouth of straight white teeth.

“Good morning, Jade!” she chirps.

Jade smiles back politely, not slowing the least bit in her pacing as she replies, “Morning!” and continues on.

Behind her she hears Nepeta make a high pitch gurgling noise, as if she's trying to imitate a pleased purr. “Furry up, Equius! We must finish our run befur eight! We can't pawsibly be late today!”

Equius grunts something along the lines of _'I must bring my towel...'_ but Jade is out of range to hear properly.

The rest of her run in non-eventful, and to her that's just fine. Nepeta's constant chattering from behind in the background follows her until she takes a left to loop back around to her house and they turn right. Twenty minutes later Jade is back on her front step, breathing only a little hard with a slight dampness to her brows. She check her watch. _7:31 a.m._ Good, she still has time for a shower and—

The front door opens. It's Jess with a leash in her hand and Bec nudging past her legs. “Oh! Jade you're back!” Jess all but beams at the older of the two and thrusts out her arm with the leash, slightly throwing it into the air. Jade catches it out of habit. “Great! Dad just left for work and asked me to take Bec out, but he totally likes you more since he _is_ like, _your_ dog, so here you go!”

Jade can't even fit a word in until the door is closed in her face and Jess disappears. Bec presses his nose into the palm of Jade's dangling hand, licking her fingers twice.

Jade's eye visibly twitches.

—... strangling her sister to death before the kid even starts grade eleven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to say in the prologue, but this story is actually written by two people. DD and Seb (me). Usually we'll do a little note to tell you who's written what, but sometimes we'll forget (or be too lazy to bother, hah). So yes, this chapter and next will be written by me (Seb) and the prologue was written by DD. You'll probably be able to tell our styles apart without either of us saying anything though...
> 
> And before anyone starts to worry, DO NOT WORRY! "Mystery Chick" is NOT a random OC that was thrown into this story because we "thought it would be cool for Bro to have a girl friend". She's actually important to the plot later on. That isn't to say she's a major character. She probably shows up like... four times. Perhaps five. A low number. So don't fret, she's not some self-insert, and she's not going to be popping up trolling Dave all the time. She's just in this chapter for intro, then she has her little debuts in the future. That's it.
> 
> Just wanted to clear that up because a lot of people dislike OCs in Homestuck (DD and myself included). Mystery Chick is needed, and we only ever bring her in when it's necessary.
> 
> ... Aside from this chapter, of course.


	3. "...get through one night without you..."

It's not a very expensive car, but it's perfect for her. The interior is soft grey, the dashboard simple yet stylish. The seats are fabricated—no leather because that's just disgusting—and when she urges it forward with her foot the car accelerates gently, the wheel turning to her slightest touch. It's a beautiful car. It's graceful and sleek. Many say it reflects her.

She pulls up to the curb where the kids are often dropped off by their parents. The front steps of the school look pressure washed for the beginning of another ten months, and the front doors are cracked open to let in the remaining few days of warm August weather they have. The paint looks redone, the railings polished... She almost smiles at the effort the staff has gone to cleaning their subtle school.

Kanaya hears the passenger door pop open and turns her head to see her father disappearing out of sight, closing the door behind him. She hesitates to exit the vehicle, because she feels so safe inside her car. She feels at home. Peaceful. Undisturbed. She can lock the outside world away and simply drive. Drive until the gas runs out, or until the tires fade to nothing...

In the rear-view mirror she sees her father slip the red _L_ off the back bumper and start around her side of the car. Kanaya releases something of an exhausted breath before reaching for the handle of her door and pulling.

“Here,” her father says, handing her the _L_. Kanaya nods and slips it inside the front pocket of the messenger bag.

For a moment they don't say anything, simply standing awkwardly in front of one another. Kanaya's right hand finds itself resting against the emerald green paint of the car and strokes it, taking in the smoothness of the sealed colour. From around the corner of the parking entrance the sound of something large splutters to their ears. It's as if someone old were coughing, trying to clear their throat so they might breathe properly again or even speak.

And indeed the car is old. Not one of those antique vintage old cars, but an ancient, falling apart at every seam possible kind of car. Its colour has long been lost from the many years of neglect, rust, and thousands of scratches. It's a disgrace to the road, and watching it use every ounce of power to push itself up the hill is almost pitiful. It makes every head turn away from the sight of the car because it's horrifying to think someone has the gall to drive it.

Before the vehicle even has time to break to a complete stop the back door facing the curb is thrown open with a terrible creaking noise. It's a miracle in its own the door doesn't fall off the hinges entirely.

“Dave! Dave don't forget your lunch!” the familiar voice of Bro Strider shatters any silence that might be lifted between the puff-puff of the exhaust, and it's hilariously raised two octaves higher than its normal tone on purpose. “Ooooh, Daaave!”

The boy who burst from the back door stomps up the front steps of the school. He's wearing a red and white t-shirt, a black backpack slung over his shoulder, and his hair is sticking up every which way. Kanaya hasn't seen Dave in almost a month and she notices that even in that short amount his body has filled out ever so slightly more. What's not surprising or new is how he whirls on his older brother, face an uncharacteristic crimson. “Would you shut the fuck up?” he snarls.

“Davey, don't be like that!” Is that a lisp Bro's using now? He's going all out. Kanaya sees a long, muscular arm lift out of the driver's window while he waves mockingly. Wild and so very, very un-Bro-like. “Have a good day, _th_ weetheart! I _l-o-v-e_ you!” he's practically singing the last three words.

“ _Fuck off!_ ”

  


And while Dave shoves past a group of onlookers Eric erupts from the passenger door, much calmer, much more together than Dave is over Bro's embarrassing trolling. Kanaya sees him close his door quietly, as if worried too much force can send it crashing to the ground. He says softly, “See you later.” and Bro gives him a nod, replying with, “See ya.” and that's it. No humiliation for Eric, no teasing, no fake stereotypical gay tone.

Kanaya smiles.

Such a lovely family.

Eric turns towards her, like he has a sense of where she is no matter the circumstance, and gives her a small curve on the right side of his mouth. He's wearing a violet hoodie over a grey shirt and a pair of faded straight jeans. All of which compliment his fair hair perfectly and make his eyes—so brown they nearly have a red tinge in the light—glow.

“Well.” Kanaya's eyes tear away from her approaching boyfriend to her father, who's now got the handle of the driver's door in his grasp, looking uncomfortable and off-put in his surroundings. Especially after that family episode. “Bye.”

Kanaya tries a smile. “Good-bye.”

The door closes behind him and the car jerks the slightest as it's pulled out of break and into drive. Kanaya watches her car— _her car_ —roll quietly around the bend of the school exit and disappear completely, the last part of it she sees being the green paint with a slender glimmer.

Eric reaches her side. His fingers brush her forearm momentarily. “Hey,” he greets.

“Good morning,” she replies, and she hopes (although the chances are slim) he cannot see the lack of joy in her eyes.

They smile softly at each other and side by side walk into the school.

8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y

It's Biology 12 first block and Kanaya has no trouble finding a seat in the room considering it's nearly half empty. The first bell has already rung, and while waiting for the second the teacher is fiddling with her projector, hissing to herself under her breath about contraptions that never seem to work for her on the right days. By the time the second bell rings Kanaya realizes this is probably as full as the class is going to be. Eighteen people at the most. Nearly none of them terribly familiar. Of course she recognizes and names a few faces, but this is a grade twelve class, not grade eleven. Not _her_ grade. One of the few downfalls to taking classes early is having no one to truly communicate with. Although it is much better off for her work load in the next year, she supposes...

Still, they're not faces she wishes to speak to. Not one of the fifteen she calls her _friends_.

Or fourteen, if you wish to be technical. Kanaya still isn't sure what's going on with Vriska...

Up front the teacher throws her arms into the air, exasperated and enraged all at once. She almost throws the transparent copy of what's most likely their notes onto the unlit top of the plastic machine and storms out through a side door linking to the Physics class behind them. Kanaya watches her warily, hoping that it's only a show of theatrics and this teacher truly doesn't have some secret mental rage problems.

A chair creaks and drags the slightest beside her. Kanaya turns her head to see a small, dark haired Asian taking the empty spot on her left. “Good morning, Aradia.”

Aradia, beautiful in her slender, sleek, Japanese way, turns her head only an inch or two when she replies with a soft, “Good morning.”

That's it? Kanaya resists the urge to raise her eyebrows at the lack of conversation. Usually Aradia is far chipper than this. Usually she's at least trying to make some conversation, regardless of whether it's her boyfriend Sollux and his silly “nerd moments” as she calls them, or the thousands of many archaeology and frog stories she's heard over the summer. Usually she smiles and her almond eyes are illuminated by the sheer joy of living. Usually she has decorative binders littering her desk and locker, one each full with pasted images of the class.

Yet this Aradia is silent and places only a plain blue binder in front of her.

“Was your summer good?” Kanaya pretends to be nonchalant about the subject by turning her head forwards and flipping open the front cover of her binder. She smooths the stack of paper within with the palm of her hand, noticing the way one of their classmates eyes her long fingers. Kanaya spares the culprit a glance, and the girl quickly looks away, a hue of pink rising to her cheeks.

As Kanaya's head is in the opposite direction she fails to notice the way Aradia's hands clench tightly atop her skirt covered thighs. The older, yet much smaller female closes her eyes briefly, her bottom lip threatening to tremble. Almost instantly—and right on time because Kanaya looks her way again—she returns to her previous position, forcing the rising sob down her throat. “It was... ah...”

She tells herself not to meet Kanaya's stare. It'll only capture her. Drag her in. It'll make it harder to lie—if possible at all. But it's hard when the girl is practically a magnet. Her eyes are so pretty, so perfectly aligned and shaped and framed by professionally applied mascara, drawing out her green iris' in a way every woman might envy. Her make up is subtle and yet... yet alluring all the same.

It makes Aradia wonder. If she'd been as beautiful as Kanaya, would Sollux still have...

No, enough.

 

 **”Aradia: Tell Kanaya the truth about your summer.”**

 

Unacceptable. Not when those eyes are boring through her.

It dawns on Aradia that suddenly Biology doesn't matter that much. Not the first little bit, at least. Not until everything is out in the open, because she knows it will be after today. It always is. And right now she can't deal with admitting what's happened. Not to Kanaya. Not to Eric. Not to any of her _friends_.

She can barely tell herself that it's true.

The teacher is still gone. Aradia scoops up her binder and grabs her thin, torn frog bag she's used since middle school. It's funny how she called it lucky for so many years. Now it just seems terribly nostalgic. She says nothing to Kanaya while she stands and takes a second to tuck in her chair, head down, hair covering her face. Her only parting words are soft and cracking from restraint emotion. “I'm sorry.”

Kanaya can only watch Aradia leave in a flurry of dark hair and skirt, both worried and a little astonished. Worried because there's definitely something wrong with her and it has to do with the summer. Which means either her family or Sollux. Astonished because her fingers had been trembling and although her hair tried hiding everything Kanaya still saw the shiny tear slipping down her right cheek.

She's never seen Aradia cry. It doesn't seem right for such a cheerful girl to release liquid sorrow.

And yet...

 

And yet.

8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y . 8^y

The grade eleven hallway is located towards the back of the school among the math and socials classrooms, which is both good and bad for the grade. Good because most of the senior classes aren't all over the school considering you're beginning to pick what you'll focus on in post-secondary, and with the science wing just across the way it isn't a long trek to most of your classes. But it's also bad because, well, if you're not into the smarts and more about the arts you might as well not bother getting a locker, since all those classes are on the other side of the school.

For Jess Egbert, she's somewhere in the middle balance of having to wander about finding her classes. Considering grade eleven's only just started, she doesn't mind too much. Alternia Secondary isn't exactly gigantic, so it's not like she has to walk miles and miles. It's more about dealing with the kids in the hall and their young shenanigans. Something she promises herself to never become apart of this year. Last year was the year to fool around. This year... This year she'll do better. This year she'll make sure she passes all her classes with at least _C+_ s! This year she won't be distracted by friends or fun they might think up! This year she'll stick to her work and focus hard and... and—

“Oh wow look it's an air plane!”

 

 **“It's useless being this silly girl. Find someone new to see through == >”**

 

Dave hardly bats an eyelash when his t-shirt hem is tugged rapidly about thirty times and he finds himself being pulled out of the flowing stream of students heading through the small hallways. Both his hands are tucked into his jean pockets, although only his left arm nestles an ironic purple binder against his side, which gives Jess a good opportunity to use the crook of his free elbow to lead him astray from the mainstream and into the younger grade nine hallway they've nearly passed. “Look, Dave! An air plane!”

To clear things up fast, it's not an air plane soaring through the air. It's a radio-controlled aircraft, or a remote-controlled air plane, if that makes more sense. _Remote/radio_ -controlled. It's not real. It's a model made of plastic, Popsicle sticks and way too many hours of a kid with no social skill's life. There are only three people who are enraptured by the way the miniature machine whirls and glides through the air, making only a slightly noise. Two of them being the grade nines playing with the toy.

The other is Jess. Grade eleven. Stoked on graduating next year. Much too old to be entertained by such a thing.

And yet here she stands, gawking with a big smile on her round face and practically vibrating.

 _Vibrating._

Jess lets out something of a squeal when the plane darts in their direction then curves back around. It's then the little kids notice the two watching them, and Dave knows it isn't Jess they're intimidated by and suddenly glancing at each other nervously from, because Jess is only five foot six and bubbly and beaming like Christmas just got assigned to every day of the year. It's Dave who scares them. Dave, the guy who towers at six feet easily with noticeable muscles (even if they don't strain his shirts like Bro's... yet) and sunglasses which complete his poker face. He's the one who makes the kids cut the power of their plane and take off just by keeping his mouth in a straight line and his head inclined towards them. The perfect _unimpressed_ face. It's Dave they hide from because the brats haven't learned that high school isn't like the books and movies. You don't get beaten up by the older grades. You just get sneered at and hated for not hitting puberty yet. Nothing major.

“Aw,” Jess whines. It's the most adorable thing Dave's heard from her today. “I guess they're going to class.”

“More like they're gonna go shit themselves and pray they don't get smited for pissing off the higher ups.”

Jess laughs. “Haha, yeah, totally wouldn't want to deal with your cool kid rage or anything. Might get burned something _pret_ -ty nasty!”

She turns and merges her way back into the flow of teenagers, Dave following behind with only a slight hesitation. She'd sounded a lot like Jade there for a second, and it was a little disconcerting. The two sisters are so different trying to imagine them saying the same thing, or even remotely acting similar is just too weird to even try.

Down the science hall, past the library, the two find themselves in the foyer without anymore distractions. The English class is upstairs in the level that sits above the cafeteria. One of the few rooms the school might call 'new' considering the revamping they did nearly twenty-five years ago. As they take the stairs up (Dave two at a time, Jess all but running to try and keep up with his long legs) Jade passes them near the top. Jess waves hi and Dave gives her a slight head nod, because anything more is too uncool for a kid as chill as him. Jade doesn't seem tempted to stop and make conversation as she quickly starts down the stairs, but after a moment when Dave and Jess are nearly to their class they hear her call out, “Oh, right! Hold up! Wait you guys!”

Jade jogs over to them, and Dave watches the way her long, thick hair seems to sway with her actions, realizing that she's never once tied it up. Does she actually do her exercising with it down? Is she really that much of an insane hippie? “Have you guys talked to Aradia at all today?”

“Aradia?” Jess repeats, looking extremely confused behind her square glasses. “No, I haven't seen her at all today. You?” She inclines the last word to Dave, who shakes his head silently. Jess turns back to Jade, asking, “Why? Is Sollux looking for her?”

“Well... no. Kanaya just came up to me a few minutes ago asking if I'd seen her, and I told her I only saw her this morning when we were at our lockers. I guess she went to biology first block and left really abruptly afterwards. Something really upset her when Kanaya asked about her summer, and I think Kanaya feels bad about it now.”

“Didn't she ask Sollux afterwards?”

“I don't think she could find him. She just came straight to me all worried then left for class. I guess she thought since Aradia and I are in the same grade I might have talked to her recently.” Above them the bell rings. The first warning bell to tell the kids they have two minutes before class begins. Jade sighs, and even though it's only the first day of school she looks exhausted already. Dave wonders where all her energy went. Years ago she'd be bouncing around the school, chittering and chattering to everything that moved or look even the slightest bit interested in her words. Now Jade seems so much older. So much... lacking in her usual self. “I guess I should go. I'm supposed to be peer tutoring the Tech ED 11 class. If you see Aradia make sure she's okay!”

Jess waves her sister good-bye, only a little unenthusiastic. Dave motions with his head for her to enter their English class and Jess does so with a smile on her face, chirping, “Why thank you good sir for letting a lady through first!”

“What lady? I let in a little kid with chub, not a lady.”

Jess scowls, although her mouth still twitches into a pout, and she smacks him on the arm with her binder. Sollux and Eric are already sitting in the back of the class together. Of course, neither are speaking, but that's to be expected considering they're socially inept. Jess sits in front of Eric while Dave takes the spot on her right before Sollux, and as they get comfy Jess greets the other two boys excitedly. Only Eric gives her a verbal reply (“Hello, Jess.”) while Sollux inclines his head a bit, shyly keeping his eyes on his pen, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Without even the slightest hesitation Jess shifts in her plastic chair and asks Sollux rather loudly, “Hey did you know Aradia's all upset about the summer?”

Dave _tch_ s because he's sure that's not the way you're supposed to go about figuring out your friend's problems. However Eric seems mildly amused, since he does that little half-smile at Jess Dave finds oddly irritating. Perhaps because it's the same smile Mom gives them when she's looking down from her pedestal of beauty and wealth. Or maybe it's because Eric's face remains unreadable, and Dave can't tell if he's making fun of Jess for her comments or simply finds them silly like most of the Egbert's phrases.

Sollux blinks heterochromia eyes behind oval glasses once, then twice. He glances up, and almost— _almost_ —meets Dave's eye, since he can feel the Strider's gaze more strongly than anyone else's, but he only manages to reaches somewhere near Dave's cheek before he lowers his stare back down to his desk again. “Is thhe?” he ask, lisp strong despite the fact he should have grown out of it years ago. “I thought thhe wath okay with thingth again.”

“ 'Okay with things?' ” Eric quotes. It's his turn to look at Sollux, and now the bespectacled brunette of their little quadrant is slouching lower into his seat, long legs stretching beneath Dave's chair. “What do you mean by that?”

“I _mean_ thhe told me thhe wath okay about what happened, and didn't want to make a big deal out of anything, tho I didn't puthh her and gave her thpace.”

“Well what happened?”

A pause. Sollux for the first time today meets each of their gazes, his own wondrous and slightly taken aback. “Thhe didn't tell you?” he asks. All of them shake their heads. Alright, no, only Jess does, but with the force her head moves left to right it's more than enough to make up for Eric and Dave. “We... broke up.”

“You broke up with Aradia?” Jess shrieks. Eric shushes her and keeps her in her seat by reaching a hand out to her shoulder, gently pushing with his fingertips. “Why? You two were so perfect for each other! It was like a fairytale romance between you guys! Oooh, _Sollux_! How could you?”

Sollux scowls and clicks his pen rather violently. “You don't know what happened, or why, tho don't even try to thick your nothe into it! We broke up. Thhe'th okay with it, I'm okay with it. We're _both_ okay with it. It happenth all the time, tho leave it alone!”

Jess seems to want to retort, her mouth opening wide, showing off her infamous overbite, but Dave shakes his head at her the slightest bit and she catches the action. With a pout, she turns in her seat and faces the front of the classroom, arms over her chest, jaw set. She's extremely unimpressed, and Dave knows he'll be hearing about this later from Kanaya or someone who sides with Jess on the matter. Terezi will probably, just to piss Dave off.

Eric makes a small noise in the back of his throat. Similar to a hum. Dave catches his eye and his twin quirks an eyebrow with a faint smirk, as if to say, _Ha ha, dipshit. Revenge from this morning._

Dave raises his middle finger. _Fuck you, Lalonde. Fuck you._


End file.
